Indicator.



PATENTED MAR. 7, 1905.

C. S. CLARK.

INDICATOR APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 9, 1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

ffgw W m No. 784,472. PATENTED MAR. 7, 1905. 0. s. CLARK.

INDICATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 9, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES Patented March '7, 1905.

PATENT QEEICE.

INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,472, dated-March'7, 1905.

Application filed anuary 9, 1905. Serial No. 240,284.

[0 all whom, 111 mu (mil/(5077b:

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS S. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia,have invented new and useful Improvements in Indicators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to what I shall for convenience term anindicator, it having as a part thereof a phonograph. I desire to stateat this time that I use the term phonograph in its broad sense toinclude equivalent apparatus of other names. The de- Vice, as will begathered from its title, involves indicating mechanism; and it is theprimary object of the invention in a ready and. simple manner to causethe operation of the indicating mechanism and the phonegraph in unison.The indicating mechanism may be of any desirable character, itconsisting in the present instance of recording means whereby apermanent record of an operation may be secured, and, as will beunderstood, simultaneously with the taking of the record the phonographwill be operated to announce the operation of the indicating orrecording mechanism.

The device may be employed for various purposes-for example, in lieu ofan ordinary cash-registei -the parts being so organized that when a saleis made a permanent record of the amount of the sale will be secured andat the same time such amount will be announced by the phonograph.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification Iillustrate a simple organization of parts involving my invention; but Ido not restrict myself to the showing thus made, for certain variationsmay be adopted within the scope of my claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of anindicator including said invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional front view ofsaid indicator. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional top plan view of thesame. Fig. 4 is a detail in front elevation, showing the leverillustrated in the preceding views in crosssection. Fig. 5 is a detailof a printing member and a character formed by the same and acooperating printing member hereinafter more particularly described.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout all the views.

The different parts of the indicator may be housed within a case,denoted in a general way by 2 and which is substantially of the formlike that familiar in existing ty )es of cash-registers, the case beingdivided into upper and lower compartments by the horizontally-disposedwall 3. In the lower compartment of the case is situatedv the drawer o'rtill 4., adapted as a receptacle for money and which is adapted to belocked in some positive manner in a retracted position within the case.To look the drawer or till in its retracted position, I have representeda latch 5, pivoted between its ends upon a bracket or other support, as(5, secured to the rear wall of the case 2, in the lower compartmentthereof. The latch is shown as held in its operative position bymeans ofa spring, as 7, of coiled form, seated in a bore in the bracket 6 andexerting its power against what might be considered the tail or outerbranch. of the latch-lever 5. The case of course has an opening in itsforward side to receive the front of the drawer or till and throughwhich the drawer can be forcibly projected by some suitable means, asthe coiled spring 8, bearing at its opposite ends against the rear ofthe drawer and the back wall of the case, intoriorly of the latter. Saiddrawer and wall are rc nesented as provided with projections or studsencircled by the terminals of the spring, which. when the drawer islocked or held back by the latch 5 will be compressed, as indicatedclearly in Fig. 1. W'hen the latch 5 is tripped by pressure upon thetail thereof or in some other suitable way, the shouldered. or workingend thereof will be lifted above the rear wall of the drawer or till toeffect the release of the latter, following which the said drawer willbe shot forward by the power of the spring 8 in order to obtain accessto the drawer to put money thereinto or remove same therefrom, asoccasion may require.

The indicating mechanism is represented as consisting in the presentinstance of print- IOO ing devices adapted to act upon a ribbon or stripof paper, whereby a permanent record may be had of the operation of themachine. The printing devices may be of any desirable number, and in thepresent case they are situated within the upper compartment of thecasing 2. The drawer or till 4 is guided between the vertical walls 9,extending from the bottom of the case 2 to the wall 3 and separated fromthe sides of the case in order to provide compartments, as 10, atopposite sides of the drawer, as indicated clearly in Fig. 2. In one ofthese compartments and supported by a suitable hanger or other device issituated a spool or reel, as 11, which carries the paper or ribbon uponwhich the imprint of cash sales is to be made, the ribbon or strip ofpaper or something of a similar character being unwound from the spoolor reel and passing into the compartment 10 on the left in said Fig. 2,the spool or reel being, as will be understood, situated in the othercompartment. In its course the ribbon or paper passes between thecooperating feed-rolls 1.2, arranged in superposed order above and atone side of the compartment 10 on the left, into which compartment theleading or free end of the ribbon is received. The lower roll 1.2 isfixedly connected with the shaft 13, extending in a direction from thefront to the rear of the machine and supported by a suitable bearingmounted upon the upper side of the wall 3. To insure the proper feed ofthe paper strip or ribbon, I may circumferentially roughen the lowerroll 1.2. Horizontally alined with said lower roll 1.2 is a guide-roll14, supported in some suitable manner just above the compartment 10 onthe right in Fig. 2.

Connected with the case 2, in the upper compartment thereof, is abox-like part 15 open at its opposite ends, as indicated clearly in Fig.2, forthe passage of the paper, tape, or ribbon unwound from the reel orspool 1 1, said paper between the roll 14 and the lower roll 12traversing the upper side of the table 16, illustrated as a platemounted within the box-like part 15 and horizontally disposed.

Above the top of the box-like part or housing 15 in the uppercompartment of the easing is a flange 17, horizontally disposed andhaving downwardly-disposed webs at its ends united with the'top of thebox-like part or housing 15. The flange 17 is perforated to receive theenlarged heads of vertically-disposed printing members, (each designatedby 18, )the shanks of said printing members being surrounded by coiledsprings 19, bearing against the top of the housing or box-like part 15and against shoulders located below 1 the heads of the respectiveprinting members to hold the latter normally in an elevated position.The printing members, as will be 1 seen upon an inspection of Fig. 3,are obl liquely arranged with respect to the front of l the casing 2.Each printing member 18 carries at its lower end an lmpression device,the

upper side of the table or plate 16, which is traversed by the paper orthe ribbon from the spool or reel 11, having similar impression devices,denoted each by20. (See Fig. 1. for example.) The printing members 18will carry male impression devices, while the female impression deviceswill be supported by the table 16. The shanks of the printing members 18pass through perforations in the top of the housing orbox-likepart 15.hen one of them is depressed, the impression device at the lower endthereof will move toward a vertically-alined and cooperating impressiondevice, the two cooperating to cut through the paper the character whichthey bear, which character maybe of any suitable kind, such as a numeralor series of numerals, as will be understood from an inspection of Fig.5, and each time the apparatus is operated the depression of a printingmember will occur, so that a record will be secured of such operation.

The phonograph for announcing the operation of the indicating mechanism,consisting, as will be understood, in the presentcase of the printingdevices, is denoted in a general way by 21 and is illustrated assupported in the upper compartment of the case 2. It will be understoodfrom what I have hereinbefore stated that I use the term phonograph toinclude within its meaning other sound reproducing devices thanphonographs, so called. The phonograph includes in its make-up a record22, which is illustrated as being of cylindrical form, but which may beof any other suitable character. The record-cylinder is removablymounted upon a mandrel, as 23, having a circular head 24, the functionof which will be hereinafter described. The phonograph 21 may beoperated in any desirable way for example, by a motor, which may be aspring-motor, which I deem it unnecessary to illustrate. The motor willbe connected with the phonograph in any desirable wayfor example, bymeans of gearing connected with the gear 25 on one end of the shaft ofthe mandrel 2:3, as indicated clearly in Fig. 3.

In connection with the phonograph I, provide a feed-controlling devicewhich, like some of the other parts hereinbefore described, may be ofany desirable character. It is represented as consisting of a yoke-formdetent 26, the bowed branches of which are supported by suitablebearings upon the upper side of the wall 3, the upward motion of thedetent 26 being limited by a stop, as 27, connected with said wall andengaging one of said branches. (See Fig. 1.) On one of the branches is aprojection, as 28, cooperative with a projection, as 29, on the head 2-1 of the mandrel. When the machine is not in operation, the projection28 is in the path of motion of and adapted to be engaged by theprojection 29 in order to prevent the operation of the phonograph 21 byits motor, which, as indicated, I have not deemed it necessary toillustrate. Upon the depression of the detent 26 to carry the projectionor shoulder 28 out of contact with the projection 29 the said phonographwill be released and can. be operated in such a manner as to secure, aswill now appear, one complete rotation of the phonographic cylinder 22.The lower portions of coiled pushsprings, as 30, are set into recessesin the upper side of the wall 3 and bear against lugs upon the branchesof the detent 26, so as to uphold the latter in its primary position andto return it promptly to said primary posi- .tion when released. hen thedetent is depressed, as previously stated, the phonograph will be free'to be operated, and their]- stant the pressure upon the detent isrelieved it is promptly returned to its original position by the powerof the springs 30, so that the shoulder or projection 28 will be engagedby the projection 29 on the head 24 of the phonograph-mandrel when thelatter has made one complete turn. The stop 27 serves to hold theprojection 28 out of engagement with the head 24'as the latter rotateswith the other parts in order to avoid friction.

The actuating device for securing the operation of the feed controllingdevice or detent 26 is represented as consisting of a lever 31, theforward part of which extends through a slot 32 in the front of the caseand is equipped with a handle whereby it can be readily manipulated. Thesaid lever 31 is fulerumed upon a horizontally-disposed shaft, as 33,extending transversely of the device interiorly of the upper compartmentof the case thereof and supported by suitable bearings, as 34,.therein.The shaft 33, as will be understood, is non-rotative, the lever 31 beingfreely movable upon the same. Extending through a vertically-disposedtube, as 35, in

the upper compartment of the case 2 is a plunger, as 36, the lowerportion of which also extends through a perforation in the wallregistering with the bore of the tube 35 and form ed in the wall 3, tothe upper face of which said tube is fixed. The lower end of the plunger36, which is represented as consisting of a cylindrical rod, engages thetail of the latch 5, the spring 7, which holds said latch in itsoperative position, also serving to uphold the plunger or rod 36. Theupper end of the plunger or red is adapted for engagement by the reararm or branch of the lever 31. When the forward branch of said lever iselevated, the rear branch thereof will be lowered in order to imparta.downward thrust to the plunger 36 and a corresponding movement to thetail of the latch 5, whereby the working portion of the latch, should asufficient movement be imparted to the lever, will be disengaged fromthe rear wall ofthc drawer 4 to release the latter. The instant that thedrawer is released the spring 8 by expanding opens the same. It will beremembered that the forward or handle portion of the lever 31 extendsthrough a slot 32 in the forward side of the casing 2. The lower wall ofthe slot is illustrated as having a row of notches, each designated by37, into one of which the lever normally fits, as indicated in Fig. 4.The notches aline from the front to the rear of the machine with therespective printing members 18, as indicated'in Fig. 3. The lever 31, ashas been stated, is fulerumed upon the stationary shaft 33, from whichit will be apparent that the lever in addition to having a swinging orvertical movement is also capable of movement laterally of theapparatus, so that it can be moved sidewise to be brought over the headof any one of the laterally-separated printing members 18. Under thenotched portion of the front plate of the case I mount a plate, as 38,bearing on its face; numerals corresponding with those of the printingmembers and which in the present case are five in number and run from 5to 25 The reproducer for the phonograph is operated by the lever and isdenoted in a general way by 39, and is illustrated as carried by thesaid lever in order to secure the function set forth. Connected with thetop of the casing 2 is a horn or trumpet, as 40, which has a connectioninteriorly of the casing with the reproducer 39 by a flexible tube, asll. The phonographic cylinder 22 has sound-records thereon laterallyseparated or spaced from each other and agreeing with'the numerals ofthe indicating mechanism. The construction is such that when a printingmember is operated say the printing member bearing the numeral 5 -thereproducer of the phonograph will be simultaneously put into oper ativerelation with the 5 souml-record of the said cylinder. so as to announcethe operation of said printing member. The same operation follows withrespect to the remainder of the numeral soimd-records on said cylinder.

As previously indicated, the lever 31 will be fitted within one of thenotches 37 in the forward. side of the casing 2, and it is shown asbeing in Figs. 3 and in the intermediate notch, or what might beconsidered the 15 notch. hen in such relation, the lever be tween itsfulcrum and handle will rest upon the transverse portion of theyoke-form detent 26, and said lever is upheld in its normal position bythe springs 30. It will be assumed that it is desired to make a recordof a five-cent sale. Initially the lever will be lifted to carry it outof the intermediate notch, in which it is shown in Fig. l, and as thelever moves out of the notch its rear end thrusts the plunger 36downward to effect the operation of the latch 5-and the release by thelatter of the drawer or till 4. When the drawer is released, it is atonce opened by the power of the spring 8. To record the five-cent sale,the lever 31 is moved toward the left and put into e extreme notch 37 onthe left in Figs. and I, and as it enters said notch it will moveagainst and depress the corresponding printing member 18 sufficiently tocause the action of the printing member against the tape received fromthe spool or reel 11. As the printing member is operated by the leverthe latter simultaneously presses the detent 26 downward, so as to movethe shoulder 28 away from the projection 29 and release the phonograph21, whereby the latter can be operated by its motor. As soon as animpression is made upon the tape by the printing member, and this is anoperation that is a rapid one, the lever is released and is returned toits original position by the power of the springs of the detent 26 andthe printing member which was operated by said lever. By reason of thefact that the detent 26 is illustrated as being of yoke form it may bedepressed in the different lateral positions of the said lever by theengagement of the latter with the transverse portion of the detent.l/Vhen the drawer is closed, the spring 8 is put under compression, andwhen fully closed is held in such position by the latch 5.

I impart a s tcp-by-stcp motion to the tape or ribbon of paper unwoundfrom the reel or spool 1 1, and this result maybe accomplished by theoperation of the lower feed-roll 12, which, it will be remembered, iscarried rigidly upon the shaft 13. Upon said shaft 13 is a gear-wheel10, arranged for step-by-step operation by an actuator, as 41, on theforward end of the shaft 42, the rear end of said shaft being connectedby bevel-gearing (denoted in a general way by 43) with the phonograph,whereby when the latter is operated in the manner hereinbefore describedthe shaft 42 will be likewise operated. The parts are so arranged thatupon one complete turn of the phonographic cylinder a complete rotationof the shaft, and necessarily of the actuator 11 rigidly carriedthereby, is secured. The actuator consists of ahub having a singleteeth, which normally occupies the position shown in Fig. 2. In saidfigure I have indicated by the arrow the direction of rotation of theactuator, the tooth thereof being out of mesh with the teeth of the gear40. however, the actuator has made nearly a complete rotation, its teethwill enter between two teeth of the gear 40 and will move the latter adistance equaling the space between two teeth, the motion of the gear 10being completed when the tooth of the actuator reaches its originalposition. During the motion of the gear 40 the lower roll 1.2 is beingmoved correspondingly, so as to impart an advancing motion to the paperin a positive manner. It will be understood that the actuator 41 doesnot operate the gear -10 until after an impression has been made uponthe paper or tape unwound from the reel or spool 11.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is 1. In an indicator, aphonograph, a feedcontrolling device for the phonograph, indicatingmechanism, and a lever laterally movable, for operating a desired memberof the indicating mechanism and simultaneously the feedcontrollingdevice to release the phonograph, the latter having a reproduceroperable by the lever.

2. In an indicator, a phonograph, a feedcontrolling device for thephonograph, indicating mechanism, a lever laterally movable, foroperating a desired member of the indicating mechanism andsimultaneously the feed-controlling device to release the phonograph,the latter having a reproducer operable by the lever, a cash-drawer, alocking device for holding the cash-drawer in a retracted position, andmeans operable by the said lever, for actuating the-locking device torelease said cash-drawer.

3. In an indicator, a phonograph, a feedcontrolling device for thephonograph, indicating mechanism comprising a plurality oflaterally-separated printing members, a laterally-movable lever forsimultaneously operating a printing member, and the feedcontrollingdevice for the phonograph, the latter having a reproducer, carried bysaid lever.

4. In an indicator, a phonograph, a feedcontrolling device for thephonograph, indicating mechanism, a laterally-movable lever adapted alsofor swinging movement, the lever on its lateral movement being adaptedto be brought into position to operate different members of theindicating mechanism, and to simultaneously operate the feed-controllingdevice to release the phonograph, a cash-drawer, a locking device forholding the cash-drawer in a retracted position, and mechanism adapted,on the swinging motion of the lever, to be operated in a direction toactuate the locking device to release the said drawer.

5. In an indicator, a phonograph, a feed controlling device for thephonograph, a swinging and laterally-movable lever, the lever, on itslateral movement, being adapted to be brought into position to operatedifferent members of the indicating mechanism, and simultaneously tooperate the feed-controlling device to cause the operation of thephonograph, a cash-drawer, a locking device for retaining thecash-drawer in a retracted position, and a plunger arranged for endwisemovement by the lever on the swinging movement of the latter andserving, on such endwise movement, to operate the locking device in adirection to cause the release of said drawer.

6. In an indicator, a phonograph, a feedcontrolling device for thephonograph, a plurality of printing members, a table, means forsupporting a strip of paper for movement across said table, a laterallymovable and swinging lever adapted, onits lateral movement, to bebrought into position to operate the respective printing members tocause their action against said paper, and to simultaneously operate thefeed-controlling device in a direction to cause the action of thephonograph, a cash-drawer, a locking device for the cash-drawer, andmechanism arranged for operation by the lever on its swinging movement,to actuate the locking device in a direction to effect the release ofsaid drawer.

7. In an indicator, a phonograph, a feed controlling device for thephonograph, indicating mechanism involving printing members, a leverprovided with a reproducer for the phonograph, arranged tosimultaneously operate the indicating mechanism, and thefeed-controlling device, means for supporting a strip of paper toreceive the impressions, and mechanism to positively feed the paper.

8. In an indicator, a phonograph, a feedcontrolling device for thephonograph, indicating mechanism involving printing members, a leverprovided with a reproducer for the phonograph, arranged tosimultaneously operate the indicating mechanism and the feed-controllingdevice, means for supporting a strip of paper to receive theimpressions, and mechanism operative with the phonograph for positivelyfeeding the paper.

9. In an indicator, a phonograph, a yokeform feed-controlling device forthe phonegraph, indicating mechanism, and a lever, laterally movable, toengage dil'lerent mem' bers of the printing mechanism, and provided witha reproducer for the phonograph, said lever, in its diflerent lateralpositions, being adapted to operate the feed-controlling device in adirection to cause the action of the phonograph.

10. in a machine of the class described, a phonograph, afeed-controlling device for the phonograph, indicating mechanisminvolving printing members, a laterally-movable lever having areproducer for the phonegraph, and arranged, on its lateral motion, tobe brought .into position to operate dillerent printing members of theindicating mechanism and simultaneously to operate said feed-controllingdevice, means for supporting a strip of paper in position to receive theimpressions of the printing members, a pair of feed-rolls between whichthe paper is led,

a gear connected with one of said feed-rolls;

and a single-toothed actuator, operative with the phonograph, and itstooth serving to operate said gear.

11. In an indicator, a phonograph, a yokeform spring-controlledfeed-controlling device for the phonograph, a laterally-movable memberfor operating the indicating mechanism and simultaneously operating thesaid feed-controlling device, the latter, when operated, serving topermit the action of the phonograph, the reproducer of said phonographbeing carried by said laterally-movable member, a horn, a flexible tubebetween the reproducer and horn, a cash-drawer, a locking device forholding the cash-drawer in a retracted position, and mechanism operableby said laterally-movable lever, the latter being capable of swingingmovement to secure such action, to ell'ect the operation of the lockingdevice and the release of said cash-drawer.

12. An indicator having a phonograph, a feed-controlling device for thephonograph, indicating mechanism, a laterally movable and swingingmember adapted on its lateral movement to be brought in position. tooperate different members of the indicating mechanism, a notchedportion, into one of the notches of which the laterally movable andswinging member is adapted normally to fit, the latter having areproducer :lor the phonograph, a cash-drawer, a locking device forholding the cash-drawer in a retracted position, and mechanism operableon the swinging motion of said"laterally movable and swinging member foroperating the said locking device in a direction to e'l'l'ect therelease of said cash-drawer.

In testimony whereol I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CORNELIUS S. CLARK.

lVitncsses:

IlnA'rn SUTIIERLAND, D. 'lmrroa.

